Mayoral race
Brownsville incumbent gets nod In the race for Brownsville Mayor, the Herald-Standard Editorial Board endorses incumbent Democrat Lewis W. Hosler over Lester Ward, who is running as an Independent.
Hosler, who is finishing his first four-year term as mayor, has impressed us with his commitment to the residents of Brownsville. It would be an understatement to say that Hosler is very concerned with public safety.
In fact, the 66-year-old Vietnam veteran draws comparisons between Brownsville’s fight against illegal drugs with his time at war.
“When we were at war, we visited villages and tried to protect them against communist rule,” he said. “That’s how I see the job of mayor. I’m there to protect the people.”
He also proudly points to the heavy firepower he secured for the police department via grants.
Ward, however, argues that Hosler – and by extension the police force the mayor’s office controls – takes things too far. While there is some concern about Ward’s claims, there doesn’t seem to be major evidence of overzealousness at this point.
Ward’s main thrust that the police are ineffective at best and out of control at worst seems unsupported, since few complaints have been made. If there were a spate of complaints, we’d be more likely to believe there was a major problem with the borough’s police force.
Hosler has defended his police force, claiming that they’re only doing what’s necessary to keep borough residents safe. We appreciate that law enforcement work is dangerous and police must do what’s necessary to protect themselves and borough residents. But still it’s an issue that bears watching, and Hosler would be advised to make sure that the police force doesn’t overstep its bounds in the next four years.
At any rate, Ward is definitely a serious candidate, and we strongly encourage him to stay involved and speak out if need be. Ward is also correct in saying that he thinks the mayor has to do more than just concerned with public safety, and we’re a little worried that Hosler might be too focused on that issue to the detriment of other concerns.
But overall we think Hosler is the best candidate for the mayoral post. Hosler’s giving the job everything he has, and he’s optimistic that the town will be making a comeback soon. He deserves another four years to see if his plans can come to fruition.